At least 20 people were killed and 24 others wounded Thursday in a clothing factory fire on the eastern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo, medical and security sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Twelve fire trucks were dispatched to extinguish the huge blaze as smoke billowed over the area, with the cause not immediately clear.The state prosecutor has tasked a team with investigating the fire, the sources added.

Egypt has had a string of fires in recent years, as shoddy buildings were constructed without safety standards amid a security vacuum following its 2011 revolution.

Last month, a fire in an unlicensed shoe warehouse in the capital's twin city Giza engulfed a 13-story building overlooking a major highway. Residents were evacuated but no casualties were reported.

In 2020, a major fire broke out next to a busy Cairo highway as a leak from an oil pipeline set ablaze by passing cars left 17 people hurt.